Women Develop Marijuana Tolerance More Quickly Than Men

According to findings recently published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, tolerance to THC is significantly greater in females than males.

That sucks, but here’s the good news: According to psychology professor Rebecca Craft, estrogen levels caused female rats to be at least 30 percent more sensitive than males to the pain-relieving qualities of THC.

Craft said other researchers, like Margaret Haney at the Columbia University Medical Center, have shown that women are more susceptible to cannabis abuse and dependence than men. Haney has documented a cannabis withdrawal syndrome of irritability, sleep disruption and decreased food intake that Craft said tends to be more severe in women.

Craft’s also found that a low dose of THC did not disrupt the reproductive cycle in female rats, something that has been under debate and, Craft said, needs more study.